Quoted:
My father grew up in the Pacific Northwest with lots of loggers. He said it was because in case of a snag, the suspenders would pull off the waistband of your pants, while a belt would pull you along. Similarly, the loggers would cut the bottom hem off their jeans and start a tear up the leg so if the cuff of your pants snagged, they'd just tear away rather than drag you off your feet. Oh, and "caulk" boots are pronounced "cork" boots. Dad said he didn't know they made chain saws with a bar less than three feet long until he moved to New York.
YOUR DAD IS RIGHT ON ALL COUNTS.
I MIGHT ADD THAT LOOSE FITTING PANTS WITH SUSPENDERS ALLOWS GREATER FREEDOM OF MOVEMENT WHEN CLIMBING ON AND OVER , THROUGH AND AROUND, OR GENERALY DOING YOUR THING WHILE LOGGING.
......Axemen is a TV show ...